Hampton Comes Alive

by **hosemasterflex** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:59 pm

http://drygoods.phish.com/

$40 at Phish Dry Goods.

That's where I got mine.

Beats the heck outta $70 in retail stores!

by **ghost_2000** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:13 am

^ If you haven't heard it, how can you call it average to above average?

ba-zing!

by **gregradiohead** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:02 pm

^ If you haven't heard it, how can you call it average to above average?

I err uhm...well it seems to be consensus. Uhm errrr

::jumps out a window::

by **willbreathes** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:43 pm

OK, so I re-bought this and got it in the mail the other day. I hadn't listened to these shows in years, and was missing all but two discs... Sigh...

Anyways, I've been listening to these a bunch lately. And the ONLY problem I have with this two-night run is there are no monsters. No face melters. Nothing that is going to go down in history.

The first disc has a few good covers, a nice (however short) Tube, and the highlight Stash. Nothign to brag about really.

Disc two is one of my favorite for sure, and the main reason I chose to purchase this again. LOVE Train Song, Possum really kicks the disc into high gear. Then Roggae which I don't hear often enough, followed by another rarity in Driver. Then, just like the first disc, a rager in Melt to close it out. Short and very sweet.

Disc three was my favorite when I first had this years back, definitely the one I have overdone listening. Gin is a fantastic jam, and the Piper on this was the one that made me fall in love with the song in the first place. Listening to it now, it takes me back when I used to jam this disc all the time. Since then I haven't really listened to a whole lot of Pipers.. So this one still stands out to me. An alright Hood comes towards the end, and like the rest of the show, it is kind of lackluster... in the Hood standpoint that is. And an encore Cavern with some horn action... Nice!

The second night first set is highlighted by a mesmorizing Divided Sky, FOAM, and a nice set-closer Bold as Love.

The last disc of this compilation is probably the all around best as far as music goes. The Mike's Groove is just unbelievable. Wedge>Mango is one of my favorite parts of the two nights, and the Free>HaHaHa>Free sounds like it is always supposed to be played that way. Unfortunately this disc, and collection, ends on a really sour note. Worst Phish moment ever? It's up there.

So all in all, I think this is a decent release, which unfortunately does not "explain" what Phish is all about in my eyes. Very restricted sounding.

by **ghost_2000** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:40 am

^
Good to hear you're revisiting Hampton '98. It, as I've made clear from the beginning, is one of my favorite live Phish releases.

You're right. NOTHING jumps out improvisationally. At all, really, sans the GREAT "Gin" jam that is firmly in my top-10. "Melt" is good but nothing spectacular. I will *strongly* disagree with you about the "Hood;" I think it peaks very nicely and it well played. One of my favorites. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

The "Sky" is quite nice, however. I also agree with your assessment of the "Mike's Groove." 1998 had some GREAT "Mike's Groove's" and this is one of them. I especially love the "Simple," which I am surprised you did not mention. It contains a beautiful, melodious jam.

It IS a decent release, one of the first I ever bought, and it will always be one of my favorites. But certainly not on the level of Hampton '97 or maybe even Hampton '99.

by **ghost_2000** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:29 am

by **the Sloth** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 4:42 am

awwww

by **gregradiohead** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 12:14 am

I still haven't heard this. I've been thinking about getting it with the Vegas '96 set, though.

by **willbreathes** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 12:19 am

It is worth hearing.

by **ghost_2000** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 12:58 am

Fall 1998 is some of my favorite Phish.

I bought HCA in the summer of 2000 and have exhausted each disc.

by **Moma Dave** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:21 pm

I don't think they knew this was going to be a release... I remember way back reading an article where Trey was saying they are planning on releasing, for the first time, a full Phish concert from start to finish. Previously it was partial show or bits and pieces from a tour - A live One and Slip Stitch and Pass. Trey continued to add that they were unsure as to what show, but they were considering a 2 night run from 97 or 98.

HCA was my first east coast Phish shows and it was INSANE! The crowd, the band, the songs, the jamming everything about it was magical! Almost too good to be true. But I lived it and it stands in my memory as a FUCKING GREAT TIME!!! This Nov will mark HCA 10 yr anniversary! Where does the time go?

I wish Livephish.com would release every show from 98. That would be EPIC!

by **ghost_2000** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:39 pm

Moma Dave wrote:

I wish Livephish.com would release every show from 98. That would be EPIC!

That'd be something all right.

Fall '98 RULES!

Top-5 tour, for me anyway.

by **Killer Rob** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:44 am

I have to start off in my post here by saying that I am extremely biased about this album. The main reason is that I grew up in Virginia Beach, so Hampton combined with phish was my mecca of everything that truly mattered on this earth. Let me tell you, there was an electric energy in that building those two nights. The parking lot was all you could ask for in an all-out free for all party for a show that size. Inside the building during the jams, they seemed to catch pretty much every vibe that you could ask for in a show. There were feelings of intensity, to care-free spiritness(is that a word?), to joyfulness, to heartfelt emotions, and always my favorite feeling at a phish show, a sense of wonder and amazement.

That was my first time EVER hearing the songs Piper, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Tube, and Driver, and probably my favorite song of the night...FARMHOUSE! I had never heard them play any of those songs, so I was certainly once again amazed and left gasping with a sense of wonder of how great it all was. I'm not sure what it was, but something about that Mango Song really hit me on that 1st night...Not to mention you could tell the band was really into it on those two nights. Trey was pretty much banging his head hardcore thruout the whole night, as was Mike, as always with Mike, fucking cool ass dude.

With that being said, phish had so many killer shows at Hampton that HCA wasn't the band's greatest ever performance at the Coliseum. They played so many awesome 2 show nights at Hampton, it would be hard to choose, but I think my favorite would be from '96. The fucking shows from '96 at Hampton Coliseum were the most insane ever!! That was my first time ever hearing Stash live before, and I was at that age where Stash might've been the greatest song ever!

Needless to say, when I first heard they decided to release Hampton Comes Alive, I was ecstatic, and still treasure it till this day. I have one of those bulletin boards that I pin all my ticket stubs to, and I love when people come over and I show them the HCA album, and then point to the ticket stubs on the board that match the show! Not that any of my close friends now are into phish, but how many people can say they have a 6 CD live album of the show they attended live that was in their freaking hometown of their favorite band?!?

freaking awesomeness I tell ya

by **Killer Rob** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:54 am

the only thing that sucked about the Coliseum, is that for whatever reason, I guess phish had that stigma of attracting a younger crowd back then, but they would never sell beer or alcohol at Hampton? That kinda sucked, but I would always sneak in some 5th's of Rum to mix with my cokes, so I was still livin' large!

And yeah, there was a Holiday Inn AND a Hooters right beside the Coliseum! We would always book rooms at the Holiday Inn, so no matter how blitzed you got at the show, you didn't have to drive anywhere after, you could simply walk to Hooters for some cold beverages and then back to the hotel for the afterparties. and guess what, the band stayed @ the same hotel and partied! And like someone mentioned, it was always a way chill atmosphere with everyone doing there thing, and the band just roaming in and out and not being bothered by anyone. Man...those were the days! I think about those days everytime I hear that Bryan Adams song lol

by **KDF4LYPHE** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:57 am

I remember getting this for Christmas my Junior or Senior year of high school.

One of the best gifts I have ever received. I ate that shit up.

Were you at the '97 shows too, killer? cuz most people regard those two as pretty epic, and the best Hampton run.

by **ghost_2000** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:37 pm

I, too, ate that shit up.

They should make Hampton best-of discs. Pre-hiatus only, though.

by **Killer Rob** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:05 pm

yes they should, I wish they'd release those '96 shows on CD. I think the neatest thing in the world is the HCA boxset with the magnets inside to keep it closed. I get a kick out of little stuff like that. I think I was one of those kids who played with the wrapping paper and box instead of the toy when I was little. And PHG, the '97 shows were awesome, but I had some eerie bad experiences there that take away from it and still haunt me to this day!

by **ghost_2000** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:11 pm

Killer Rob wrote: I think the neatest thing in the world is the HCA boxset with the magnets inside to keep it closed. I get a kick out of little stuff like that.

Word! And how each disc's sleeve, when put together, shows The Mothership as a whole.

by **vwdeadhead** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:30 am

disc 3 of the first night is great i can't get it out of my car
its been a while since i've listened to these two nights

by **jbarker** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:35 am

^Absolutely. Disc 3 is the one I listen to the most. I realize that there's better versions of every song on that disc, but it was one of the first discs I ever listened to, so for that reason, I especially love the Gin and the Hood.

by **vwdeadhead** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:41 am

^ yea man, im glad im not alone on this

like you said there is def. better versions, i just love the disc, plus the roses are free and the get in jiggy wit it, is hilarious
i love when phish covers ween
but like you said that gin is great and i love the cavern

by **ghost_2000** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:46 pm

Listen to your HCA discs today, m'kay?

Don't forget the great packaging, which was nominated for a Grammy.

by **vwdeadhead** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:34 am

^ been listening the whole week

by **jbarker** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:06 am

Just put on Disc 3

I love this Gin.

by **mikes12041996** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:37 am

Never fully understood why these shows were picked to be released or held with such high esteem. I'd have preferred to see 11/2, 11/11, 11/13, 11/14, 11/19, 11/24, 11/29, Hampton '95, hampton '96 or especially Hampton '97 or '99 to these shows.

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